Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a topical seasoning for a snack food, such as a starch-based snack food for example a potato chip or an expanded snack food produced from a starch-based snack food pellet. The present invention also relates to a snack food seasoned with a topical seasoning.
Description of the Related Art
It is well known to employ topical seasoning for flavouring snack foods, for example starch-based snack foods, typically in the form of snack chips, such as potato chips or expanded snack foods produced from a starch-based snack food pellet. On subsequent cooking, the pellet expands to produce an expanded low density porous snack food.
Known topical seasonings include sodium chloride, since many snack foods require a salty seasoning to meet the taste demands of the consumer. Such topical seasonings include sodium chloride crystals, in micronised or larger particle dimension, mixed with other seasoning ingredients.
There is a general desire to reduce the salt content of many foods, including processed foods such as snack foods. However, for snack foods, there is a problem of achieving a reduced sodium chloride content of the topical seasoning, and of the resultant snack food product, while also achieving the desired taste sensation required by consumers.